Support and drive means for adjustable tapes



J. KILBURG March 12, 1963 SUPPORT AND DRIVE MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLE TAPES 2 Sh eets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1960 INVENTOR.

JAMES K/L BURG uromvgrs March 12, 1963 J. KILBURG 3, 8 ,0

SUPPORT AND DRIVE MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLE TAPES I Filed Aug. 4, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JAMES KILBURG ATTORNEYS 3,081,047 SUPPORTAND DRIVE MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLE TAPES James Kilburg, San Carlos, Calif, assignor to Perini Electronic Corporation, a corporation of California Filed Aug. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 47,524 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-55) This invention relates to support and drive means for adjustable tapes and particularly to the supporting and moving of tapes or webs of paper-like material which bear listed information and are carried on rotatable spools to enable any item listed throughout the length of the tape to be brought into a reference position.

The invention has been applied to, and is particularly useful with a machine for automatic dialing of telephone numbers, though its utility for various other purposes will be apparent from an understanding of the following disclosure.

One such machine for automatic dialing is fully disclosed in the United States patent to Kilburg, No. 2,65 6- 417 and the invention is disclosed herein as applied to a machine constructed in accordance with said patent. Only those parts of the machine are disclosed, however, which are necessary to an understanding of the present invention.

In the machine of the patent referred to an advanceable tape of paper-like form bears coded information in lines or spaces which are arranged transversely of its length. By adjusting the tape lengthwise any single line of such coded information may be brought into juxtaposition with a decoding mechanism. Each code line represents a telephone number and the tape also bears the name of the persons or places represented by the coded numbers usually alphabetically arranged to enable the tape to be positioned for making any desired call.

When a coded line is properly positioned with respect to the number to be called the operation of the machine is initiated as by depression of a button or key and a set of electric impulses comparable to those created in the operation of a conventional telephone dial is created.

The usefulness of any such machine is limited by the length of the tape and number of names and codes which it will accommodate. Present machines built under the said Kilburg patent are designed to receive tapes as long as twenty-two feet to accommodate as many as eight hundred and fifty coded telephone numbers and corresponding names. The tape is wound upon two spools,

v United States Patent maintained under tension and trained over a drum having sprocket teeth registering with perforations in the tape. A small hand crank is employed to rotate the drum and adjust the tape for bringing a subscribers name into view at a reference station. The selection of a subscribers name near one end of the tape or alphabet after a previous selection near the other end therefore requires many turns of the crank which is time consuming and tedious when a very long tape is employed.

The decoding mechanism of the machine referred to is mechanical and is driven by a small electric motor. Since the motor is not in service during adjustment of the tape, it is available as a source of power for this purpose. However since the tape is under tension and must be maintained under tension during adjustment, the tension mechanism which acts between the spools must be balanced and must operate smoothly in order that the torque afforded by the small motor is adequate to adjust the tape quickly and positively.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a support and motor actuated adjusting means for a tape or web of the kind described in which substantially constant tension is maintained on the tape at all times to enable its adjustment with a minimum of power.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an actuating member operable in two opposite directions to effect energization of the motor and movement of the tape in a direction corresponding to the direction of movement of the actuating member.

Further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which it is carried into practice are made apparent in the following specification by reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of an automatic telephone dialing machine of a known make with the outer housing removed to expose the motor and the motoractuated tape adjusting mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View looking in the same direction as FIG. 1 but with the motor, side frame member and drive gearing removed and illustrating only the manner in which the tape is carried on a pair of spools so that it may be advanced by rotation of a drum over which it is trained;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary View in side elevation showing the opposite side of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1 to illustrate the manner in which a motor starting switch is actuated; p 7

FIG. 4 is a view partially in section of one of the spools shown in FIG. 2 illustrating the tensioning means therefor; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V- -V of FIG. 4. 7

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the tape 5 is shown as wound upon a pair of spools generally indicated at 6 and trained over a 7 'and a curved plate 8. This assembly is supported between spaced frame plates 14- and 15 between which the coding mechanism and other devices which form a part of the machine not shown are also arranged. The drum 7 is provided with suitable sprocket teeth as indicated at 16 which register with perforations in the tape so that upon rotation of the drum the tape may be adjusted in either direction.

As is clearly set forth in the Kilburg patent hereinabove referred to, the tape 5 is provided with transverse lines of perforate codes which represent telephone numbers and with the names of the subscriber s whose numbers are represented in code thereon. The coded numbers and corresponding names are spaced from each other's'o that when a perforate code occupies the position of the arrrow A in FIG. 2 the corresponding name will occupy a reference position indicated for example by the arrow B and a suitable window is provided in the housing, which is not shown, to enable the user of the machine to see the name so positioned and thus know that actuation of the machine will effect decoding of the code position at A and create pulses in the telephone circuit representing the number to be called.

A small motor comprising an armature 10, a coil 11 and a rotor 12 is fixed to the frame plate 14 and affords the power for actuating the decoding mechanism. In accordance with the present application, this same motor is employed to adjust the tape 5 by rotation of the drum 7 in either direction so that when it is necessary to move the tape a great distance to select a subscribers name, the tape may be adjusted very rapidly with a minimum of effort. To accomplish this, the output shaft of the rotor 12 of the motor is provided with a spur gear 18 which meshes with reduction gearing comprising a large gear 19 and small gear 20 secured thereto, and the gear 20 acts through an idler 21 meshing with a large gear 22 fixed to the same shaft 23 as a sprocket 24. A chain 25 or other driving member is trained over the sprocket 24 and a second similar sprocket 26, all to be driven in one direction whenever the motor 10 is energized. The chain is shown as deflected by one side of the motor over which it slides but this is merely incidental to the arrangement of the parts of the machine to which the invention has been applied. The sprocket 26 is rotatable on a shaft 28 and this shaft also carries a plate 30' which is free to oscillate thereon and carries gears for driving the drum 7 and thus adjusting the tape in either direction.

Fixed to the sprocket 26 for rotation therewith is a large gear 31 and also carried by the plate 30 and meshing with the large gear 31 is a drive gear 32 adapted to engage and drive a large gear 33 which is fixed to the drum 7 for driving the same in one direction. A second gear 34 meshes constantly with the gear 31 and also meshes with the reversing gear 35 which may be brought into registry with the gear 33 on the sprocket for advancing the sprocket and tape in the opposite direction. Since all of the gears 32, 34 and 35 are carried by the plate 30, the gears 32 and 35 may be brought selectively into engagement with the sprocket gear 33 by rocking the plate about the shaft 28. This is accomplished by an elongated finger actuated lever 37 fixed to the plate and having two ends as shown at 38 and 39 so that it is a simple matter to slide ones finger from one end to the other to rock the plate 30, it being understood that the lever projects through the housing of the machine. Thus the tape is advanced forwardly or to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 by depression of the end 38 of the lever and rearwardly by depression of the end 39 of the lever.

The motor is automatically energized for operating the tape advancing mechanism above described upon actuation of the lever 37 in either direction and preferably slightly in advance of the engagement of the drive gearing so that the motor can attain full speed before it undertakes the work of advancing the tape. The telephone dialing machine includes a switch for closing a circuit to the motor which is in the form of a micro switch generally indicated at 40 in FIG. 3 and adapted to be closed by pivotal movement of a lever 41 about a support 42 therefor. The present invention includes a lever 43 with a pin 44 bearing against an end of the lever 41 and the lever 43 is fixed against rotation on a shaft 45. This shaft extends across the machine through both frame plates 14 and 15 and carries a lever 46 (see FIG. 1) at its opposite end with a pin 47 normally bearing centrally against a V-shaped cam surface 48 formed at the lower end of the lever 30. A small spring 49 holds the levers 43 and 46 upwardly and the pin 47 on the lever 46 centers in the V-shaped cam surface normally to retain the lever 30 in its central or neutral position. Upon swinging of the plate 30 in either direction by manipulation of the finger lever 37, levers 46 and 43 are cammed downwardly to swing the lever 41 (FIG. 3) about its pivot point 42 and effect closing of the micro switch just in advance of engagement of the gear 32 or 35 with the gear 33 on the drum 12. In this manner, the tape may be advanced a long distance in either direction and thus quickly and easily brought into position with the name to be brought into view disposed in the general area of the reference station. Final adjustment can then be made by manually rotating the drum 12 by means of a knurled wheel, a portion of which is shown at 50 in FIG. 1 and which is fixed with respect to the drum 7 for convenient though relatively slow adjust ment thereof.

In order to insure proper operation of the decoding mechanism of the machine, it is necessary that the tape be kept under slight tension at all times to be certain that the perforate code thereon is accurately positioned when the corresponding name registers with the reference station. It is also necessary as previously stated that the ad ustment of the tape be made with very little eifort in order that the small motor provided in the machine can perform this adjustment with a minimum torque requirement. The tensioning mechanism of the present invention meets both of these requirements and is illustrated in FIGS- 4 and 5. In FIG. 4, one of the spools 6 is illustrated as a hollow cylinder rotatable with respect to a shaft 54. These shafts are journalcd in suitable brackets, one of which is shown at in FIG. 2. A torsion spring 56 surrounds the shaft 54 and is anchored to the shaft at one end centered by a cup-like seat 57 concentric to the shaft. The other end of the spring 56 is anchored to the spool through the medium of an elongated pin 58 parallel to the shaft 54 and around which one end of the spring is slidably engaged as illustrated in FIG. 5. This end of the spring is also supported on a plastic bushing '59 which is freely slidable upon the shaft 54. This mounting of the spring is provided to enable the spring to extend lengthwise as it is tightened or loaded by relative rotation between the spool and the shaft. Were it not for the ability of the spring to extend lengthwise, it would be forced to twist or curl away from its normal straight cylindrical shape to the extent that it would engage the shaft '54 in places and create undesirable friction as well as spending its force in undesirable direction. Springs 56 are provided in both of the spools 6 and are identical as to their configuration and mounting with the exception that they are wound to the opposite hand so that they tend to rotate the spools in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2.

Furthermore, the shafts 54 are geared to each other by large gears 66, one of which is secured to each shaft and an intermediate gear 61 meshing with both of the gears 60. The shafts are thus held against rotation independently of each other by the intermeshing gears. A preload or tension is provided in the springs 56. This tension is adequate to hold the tape 5 sufficiently taut for satisfactory operation of the automatic dialing mechanism and when the tape is moved in either direction it will be wound upon one spool and unwound from the other spool.

The direction and extent of rotation of the shafts is the same because of their geared interconnection. Since the spools are connected, one to each shaft, by a spring they tend to rotate in the same direction and to the same extent as the shafts and therefore to maintain their original preload which is automatically balanced or distributed between the two springs. A single spring mounted as shown in one of the two spools will accomplish the same purpose, however, the use of two springs permits a longer effective spring length in the space available and the longer spring has the advantage that it provides a greater range of deflection without material change in spring tension. The springs do not always retain precisely their initial preload because the winding of the tape upon one spool as it is being unwound from the other spool changes the effective diameters of the spools and therefore the rate of winding and unwinding. This interconnection of preloaded springs compensates for the difference in the rate at which the tape winds and unwinds through a minute variation in the force produced by preloading.

With the arrangement described, the tape 5 is held under constant almost uniform tension which varies only minutely regardless of whether it is in a central position or whether the greatest percentage of the tape is wound upon one spool and only the tail end upon the other spool and the torque required of the motor to advance the tape from any one position to any other is very small and substantially uniform.

The ends of the tape are secured to the spools by suitable means, not shown.

I claim:

1. Drive means for an adjustable tape comprising a rotatable drum over which the tape is trained, a gear on said drum through which it may be rotated, means supported for rocking movement adjacent said gear, motor driven forward and reverse gears on said means adapted to be selectively placed in mesh with the gear on said drum by rocking movement of said means, resilient means normally retaining the rockable means in a neutral position, and a finger engageable wheel secured to the drum for driving the tape short distances independently of said drive means.

2. Drive means for an adjustable tape comprising a driving drum over which the tape is trained, a first gear fixed to the drum, a second gear mounted for rotation adjacent the first gear, power means for rotating the second gear in one direction, a member mounted for rocking movement about the center of rotation of the secondgear, a third gear on said member meshing with the second gear and positioned to engage and drive the first gear and drum in one direction upon rocking of \said member in one direction, a gear train on said mem- Ber meshing with the second gear and positioned to engageand drive the first gear and drum in the opposite directiomupon rocking of said member in the opposite direction, and means actuated by movement of said member in either direction to initiate operation of said power means.

3. Drive means for an adjustable tape comprising a driving drum over which the tape is trained, a first gear fixed to the drum, a second gear mounted for rotation adjacent the first gear, power means for rotating the second gear in one direction, a member mounted for rocking movement about the center of rotation of the second gear, a third gear on said member meshing with the second gear and positioned to engage and drive the first gear and drum in one direction upon rocking of said member in one direction, and a gear train on said mem ber meshing with the second gear and positioned to engage and drive the first gear and drum in the opposite direction upon rocking of said member in the opposite direction and means actuated by movement of said mem- 10 her in either direction to initiate operation of said power means prior to engagement of said third gear or said gear train with said first gear.

References Cited in the file of this patent 0 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,174,849 George Mar. 7, 1916 2,211,358 Wittel Aug. 13, 1940 2,280,737 Alburger Apr. 12, 1942 2,374,038 Ress Apr. 17, 1945 2,415,406 Benfer Feb. 11, 1947 2,517,055 Thompson Aug. 1, 195 0 

1. DRIVE MEANS FOR AN ADJUSTABLE TAPE COMPRISING A ROTATABLE DRUM OVER WHICH THE TAPE IS TRAINED, A GEAR ON SAID DRUM THROUGH WHICH IT MAY BE ROTATED, MEANS SUPPORTED FOR ROCKING MOVEMENT ADJACENT SAID GEAR, MOTOR DRIVEN FORWARD AND REVERSE GEARS ON SAID MEANS ADAPTED TO BE SELECTIVELY PLACED IN MESH WITH THE GEAR ON SAID DRUM BY ROCKING MOVEMENT OF SAID MEANS, RESILIENT MEANS NORMALLY RETAINING THE ROCKABLE MEANS IN A NEUTRAL POSITION, AND A FINGER ENGAGEABLE WHEEL SECURED TO THE DRUM FOR DRIVING THE TAPE SHORT DISTANCES INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID DRIVE MEANS. 